New Zealand and Australia announce massive Takata airbag recalls

The
New Zealand government has announced a compulsory recall of 50 000
cars that it says contain faulty Alpha-type Takata airbags, just a
month after the Australian government announced its own recall in
February.

NZ
Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi added that over 250 000
other vehicles with non-Alpha type airbags would be intensely
monitored. He also said at a media briefing that the New Zealand
Transport Agency (NZTA) would introduce new measures prevent affected
vehicles from being imported.

While the recall
has since 2013 been voluntary
in the country, and as yet no injuries or fatalities have been noted,
the Minister said it was not worth taking the risk.

"We're
still in a position where 307,000 vehicles are still on the road in
New Zealand, being used by everyday families with safety risks known
to the previous government since 2013, which have not been
sufficiently addressed," he said.

"Further,
because I am not satisfied that enough progress has been made on
other non-Alpha Takata airbag recalls, I have set up a monitoring
group that will report monthly on this.

"If
enough progress isn't made, I will enact a compulsory recall across
the board because I am not willing to compromise on the safety of New
Zealanders," he said.

In
total more than 450,000 vehicles are affected by the issue in New
Zealand - those at highest risk are the 50,000 undergoing a
compulsory recall.